"How reliable is the 2002 Dodge Ram 3500?"

"Based on 59 NHTSA complaints, the 2002 Dodge Ram 3500 has a median complaint mileage of 48500 miles. The most common issue is STEERING."

"What are common problems with the 2002 Dodge Ram 3500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2002 Dodge Ram 3500 is STEERING, accounting for a significant portion of the 59 total complaints filed."

2002 Dodge Ram 3500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 59 complaints

Total Complaints

48,500mi

Median Mileage

STEERING

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

19,000 25th Percentile

48,500 Median Mileage

107,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

STEERING

STRUCTURE

POWER TRAIN

AIR BAGS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

STRUCTURE:BODY

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

SUSPENSION

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"CONSUMER NOTICED AFTER PURCHASE OF VEHICLE THERE WAS NO ON/OFF SWITCH FOR THE PASSENGER AIR BAG. *TT"

"THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAD STAYED ON, FLASHED, AND CHIMED. THE TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS COULD HAVE DEPLOYED AT ANY TIME, POSSIBLY DUE TO A WIRING PROBLEM. ALSO THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT HAD TIGHTENED ABNORMALLY. TS SCC"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28